Mechanism for operating railroad-crossing gates



July 3, 1923. 1,460,912

J. KRATOCHVIL MECHANISM FOR OPERATING RAILROAD CROSSING GATES FiledJune 27, 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 95 F wn/v .2. I

15193, 1923. 1,460,912 J. KRATOCHVIL MECHANISM FOR OPERATING RAILROAD CROSSING GATES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwvmru ally/ a foe/2V1! I Filed June 27, 1921 J. KRATOCHVIL MECHANISM FOR OPERATING RAILROAD CROSSING GAT ES Filed June 27. -1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 7 rfmalZa/zzrzi July 3, 1923. v 1,460,912

J. KRATOCHVIL MECHANISM FOR OPERATING RAILROAD CROSSING GATES Filed June 27, 1921 5 Sheets-$heet 4 I v I 9'3 f a 7 r7. 5. 4 I I? 5; a a! '2 I gwue'nloc (ffi hz Zea/1V1 Jnjly 3,1923. I 1,460,912 J. KRATOCHVIL MECHANISM FOR OPERATING RAILROAD CROSSING GATES Filed June 27, 1921 5 sheets-sheet 5 employ .a relay for each track of'whi-ch two designated respectively as track A and track.

13 are shown in the drawing, track Abeing tively high voltage and under the control I of the relayslQ and 19 shown in detail in Figures 3, 4 and 5 and in diagrammatic assembly in Figure 1.

In the construction illustrated tworelay switches, similarly constructed are arranged in operative relation with each gate for the reason, as will be more particularly explained hereinafter, that it is desirable to equipped for traffic in both directions. while track B is equipped for traffic in only one direction. Reference to the diagram l igure 1 will show the location of the track trips respectively at a, b, c, d, e and f for track A and t at g, 72 and i for track B so that as atrain proceeds in the direction of the arrow on either of the tracks the proper trips will be operated and hence through one of the relays will close the operating circuit to operate the gate 1 and move it to a closed position, and when'the train reaches the trip at station I) it will .operatethe track circuit to actuate the.

ner with reference to any required number of gates which may be arranged in series;

The operation of the circuits more in detail will'be set forth hereinafter. Moreoverthe relayswhich are hereinafter described in de tail, are so constructed that the reverseopso that upon reachingthe trip and station 0 the gate number 2 will be closed, upon! eration will occur uponthe movement of a train on thetrack in the opposite direction,

reaching station 6 the gate number 2 willbe released and gate number 1 will be closed, and upon reaching station a the gate number 1 will be released. y

In Figures 3, 4 and 5 there is shown a relay constructed to carry out the object of the invention, the same havingia plurality of two pole electromagnets of which that indicated at20 is included in the operating cir-- cuit 21 with the contacts 22 and 23, of which the former ,is carried by an armature 24 'yieldingly held out of contact with the magnetbymeans of the spring 24 or its equiva lent, this switch being off the pick-up tvpe so thatit breaks the operating circuit when thecoil 20o isdeenergized, and when the op era-ting circuit is closed the magnet 20 serves to maintain it in a closed condition.

The magnet 25 also forming a member of the relay 1901' i9, is included in the .track circuit .26. or26f, in which-a verylow voltage current may be employed, andwhen a trip is operated to close the circuit'the.

thereby closes the operating circuit 21 through the engagement of the contacts 22 and 23. The armature 24 however forms a part of the operating circuit connected by a coupling element or bridge 27 with a supplemental armature 28 which operates in connection with a third electromagnet 29 included in the trackcircuits 26 and 26*, said auxiliary armature 28 being yieldingly held magnet 25 attracts the armature 24 and r by means of a spring 30 with a termi* nal contact 31 thereof in engagement with a contact 32 to complete the operating cir cuit at this point, so that normally it is broken only at the contacts 22 and 23, and when the contacts 22 and 23: are brough into i into engagement the operating circuit is completed as hereinabove described.

Howu ever, when the track circuit 26 through the trip at station I) is closed through the magnet 29 to attract the supplemental armature 28, the operating circuit which .passes through contacts 31 and ,32 is'broken at the contacts 31 and 32 to open the operating circuit and thereby deenergize the solenoids 17 to release and permit the return of the gate to its normal or open position. The

contacts and stops consist of suitably adjust,

able elements to permit of proper relative arrangement'thereof to suit the conditions of operation and insure accuracy, as for example the contact 32 is carried by adjusting screw 33 having :a suitable lock nut 34, the stop 35 consists of a screw designed to limit the return or circuit opening movement of the armature arm 24, the same also havinga lock nut 36, and the contact 23is carried byv a pin 37 having an actuating spring 38 and engaged'by a stopjnut 39.

, Also in order to prevent an arcat the '7 contacts 31, 32 when the operating circuit is opened at that point by the f'c'losing of the track circuit through a 'tripat the sta 1 tion bfa high capacity condenser 40 is? shunted across the contacts by connection through the wires 41 respectively with 'the standards 42 and 43 upon the former ,o-f

which rests the spring 30 in contact with the auxiliary armature arm 28 while latter carries the contact 32.

Obviously various typesof trips may employed in connection with the mocha-f nism hereinabcve described but it is" dear; able that whatevertype is used' in this con-f I nection should be of such achar'acter as to provide not only for a return to the initial position after being encounteredor operated circuit. in a closed condition for appreciable i and sufficient length oftimeto permit ofthe proper operation of; the relays 19 01' 19 so that the operating circuit "21 may be l by a passing train buttomaintainthe'track crossing. 7 V

If "a tram travels on track B in the. direccontacts at g are bridged, a circuit for gate 1 is completed through a conductor 108, the magnet 25, conductor 94, source 95, conducthrough magnet 29 ofirelay-lwof gate No l,

&

N o. 2 through the circuits which will be obvious in view of thosetracedand through which movement the trips at a, 7) and'c will be inutile. Thus as a train moves in either .direction it will automatically" cause each gate to lower as'it approaches the adjacent crossing and to raise after passing such tion of the arrow, the circuitwill be controlled through therelays 19; Thus if the tor 9G, a conductor 109 and a conductor 11.0. Thus the adjacent magnet 90 is energizel and the circuit through source 99 is conr pleted asv previously ,set forth. WVhe-n the contacts at a are closed, a circuitin the same manner is closed through magnet ofire lay 19" of gate N0. 2

and in addition, the current 1 travels from the contacts at It conductor 94, source 95, conductor 96, conductor 109, and a conductor 112, thus energizing magnet 29 and hrealringthe circuit through magnets 18 ofgate 1. Similarly the circuit for magnets 17 of gate No. 2 will be broken if trip 2' is bridged.

. In a modified construction of treads illus trated in Figures 10 to 13 inclusiverdesigaed for operation in'either dlrection, the rocker Get is pivotally mounted at and carries a.

cross arm 66 which supports the ratchet bars (37 in en a ement with the'ratchet wheels 68 for operating the fly wheels'69. The lower extremities or free ends of the ratchet bars are deflected as indicated'at 70 to insure the proper return of each, armi'to its proper .en-r gaging relation with the cooperating ratchet wheel after thetrip has been IIlOVGCl'lIl'tllG opposite direction 'to thereby cause disengagement of the firstnamed arm with its ratchet. In other words when for example the rocker is moved invthe'direction indi'. cated by the arrow inl igure 10 the ratchet bar at'the left serves as a means'for restrain.-

, ing the retiii'irmovement of the trip While the ratchet arm at the right is elevated and -carried out of engagement with its ratchet,

but as the trip returns to its no rma l.position the deflected extremity 70 of the second named arm sildes over theratchet until it *reaches the operative position indicatedin Figure 10. The actuating'sprmgs 71 for-the I ratchet arms serve to swing the arms in-' ward or toward their, respective ratchet wheels but the inward'swmgmg movement of said arms is limited by-the shoulders formed by the ends of the cross arm 66.

In this construction of'trip, in 'order to prevent access of water to the interior mechanism enclosed'by the'housing 72, the

Q shankf73 of the trip is bifurcated or forked as shown at 74, the shank passing through a slot 75 in an inner deck 76 of the wall of the housing and the'arms of the fork passing through slots 77 in the outer deck of said walhthe slots 77 being laterally out of thevertical plane ofthe slot 75 and the deck upturned inner edge as indicated at 78-to '70 76 being guttered or channeledor having an"v prevent Water which may-enter through the slots 77' from "passing through 'the' I slot 75'.

, The contact operating features of the double trip shown in Figures 10* to 13 inclusive correspond in general construction with that previously'described in that they include the rocker arm 80 of'which th'eezrtremities are adapted for depression respectively of the bars, 81 having the return or cushion springs 82seated at their lowerends on the stationary bars 83 a-nd also carrying the movable contact pins84c' for engagement with the stationary contacts 85 having guide" pins 86 upon'which are fitted return springs It will now be obvious that the desiraw bility of having a relay for each track residesin the fact that should two trains mov 90 ing in opposite directions upon the tracks trip, at station 6 for example, would close the gatenumber 1' and open the'gate number 2, while the other reaching station 1) before the train on track B has reached the gate number 2 would tend to open or release the gate number 2 and thus expose the trafiic on the cross road protected by gate number 2 to train on track Bwere it not for'the separate relay arrangement which insures the closi-ngof gate numberQ by the action"- of the train on trackB.

Having thus described the invention,*w'hat I claim is LA railway gate operating mechanism having a solenoid connected with the gate,

an operating circuit including the solenoid, I

a relay switch for controlling said circuit andva track circuit for actuating'the relay and including a trip actuated circuit closer for operation by the rolling stock, said'relay having a magnet included in the operating circuit and an armature forming an element of the operating circuit.

2. A; railway gate operating mechanism. having a solenoid connected with the gate,

an operating circuit including the solenoid; T a relay switch for controlling said circuit" and a traclr circuit for actuating the relay fiIlCliIiClllCllIlg a trip actuated circuit closer for operatio'n'bv the rolling stock, said relay": having a magnet included in the operating of the operating circuit, and also having magnets included in the track circuit and circuit and an armature formingan elementv anism having a rocker'and reluctant meansfor retarding the return movement thereof, the same including. a fiy wheel having a ratchet wheel and a ratchet bar carriedbv the rocker for engagement with said ratchet wheel during thereturn movement or the rocker, said ratchet arm being yieldingly impelled toward the ratchet wheel.

12. A railway gate operating mechanism having a solenoid connected with thegate,

an "operating circuit including the; solenoid, a relay switch for; controlling said circuit and a trackcircuit-for actuating the relay and including a trip actuated circuit closer for operation bythe rolling stock, said trip consisting of a rocker operatively movable in opposite directionsfrom a neutral position, and'reluctant means for retarding the return of the rocker to its neutral position,

13. A railway gate operating mehanism having a solenoid connected with the gate, an operating circuit including the solenoid,

- a relay'switch for controlling said circuit and a track circuit for actuating the relay and'including a trip actuated circuit closer for operation'by the rolling stock, said trip consisting of a rocker operatively movable in opposite directions from a neutral posi-' tion, reluctant means for retarding the re turn of the rocker to its neutral position consisting of revoluble, resistance offering ratchet wheels and ratchet bars carried by oppositely directed arms of the rocker for respective engagement with said ratchet wheels.

14, A railway gateoperatingmechanisni having a solenoid connected with the gate, anoperating circuit including the solenoid, a relay switch for controlling said circuit and a trackcircuit for actuating the relay and including a tripactuated circuit closer,

for operation by the rolling stock, said trip consisting of a rocker operatively movable in oppositedirections from aneutral position, reluctant means for retarding the return of the rocker to its neutral position consisting of revoluble, resistance ofiering ratchet wheels and ratchet bars carried by oppositely directedarms of the rocker for respective engagement with said ratchet wheels, and arranged for communicating motion thereto during opposite movement of. the rocker.

15. A railway gate operatin mechanism having a solenoid-connected with the gate, an operating circuit including the solenoid,

a relay switch for controlling said circuit and a track circuit for actuating-the relay and including a trip actuatedcircuit closer for operation by the rolling stock consisting of a rocker andnorinally separated contacts,

one of which is carried by the rocker and the r other of whichis movable by and in the .dimotion of the first-namedcontact and isde; pressed thereby and thereafter yieldingly impelled in opposition thereto during part ofthe return movement otthe rocker. I

16. A railway gate operating mechanism having a solenoid connected with the gate, an operating circuit includingithe solenoid, a relay switch for controlling said circuit and a track circuit for actuating the relay and including a trip actuated circuit closer for operation by the rolling stock, and consisting of a .rockerand normally separated contacts, one of which iscarried by the rocker and the other of which isyieldingly mounted in the'path of the former for depression thereby and 'movement thereafter during part of the return movement ofthe' rocker.

17 A railway gate operatingmechanism having a solenoid connected withthe. gate, an operating-circuit including the solenoid, a relay switch for controlling said circuit and a track circuitfor actuating "the relay and including a trip actuated circuit closer for operation by the rolling stock, and consisting of a rocker and normally separated contacts, one ofwhich is carried by the J rocker and the'other ofwh-ich is yieldingly held in the path of and 'is'movab'le. by and with the former durin'gportion's of the forward andreturn movement thereof.

18. A railway gate operating mechanism A having a solenoid connected with the gate, an operating circuit including the solenoid, a relay switch for controlling said circuit and a track circuit foractuating the relay and including a trip actuated circuit ,closer' fonoperation by the rolling stoclcandcon sisting of'a rocker and normally separated contacts, one v of. which iscarried by the I rocker and the otherofwhich is yieldingly held in the path of and is movable by and with the former during portions of the 'forward and return movement thereof, and

reductant means for retarding the return,

movement of the rocker. c Y

In testimony whereof-I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses. I JOSEPH KRATOCHVIL. Witnessesi c MARcUs HrroH, MAY A. Town. 

